The Sentimental Significance Of Meghan Markle's Earrings At Queen Elizabeth's Funeral

Meghan Markle may have distanced herself from the royal family and the Queen over the years, and strongly criticized the institution publicly, like in early episodes of her podcast, "Archetypes," but that doesn't mean the Duchess of Sussex didn't want to pay homage to the family's long-serving matriarch at her state funeral Monday.

While Twitter buzzed about Meghan's black cape dress and hat, saying over and over how "perfect" she looked, there was an accessory that the mom of two added to her ensemble that offered a sweet tribute to her relationship with Queen Elizabeth.

Look closely and you can see that the Duchess of Sussex wore pearl-and-diamond drop earrings that were given to her by the monarch herself in 2018 on the occasion of the duo's first outing together (via Page Six). According to Vogue, the duchess donned the same sentimental jewelry earlier in the week when she accompanied Prince Harry and the Prince and Princess of Wales to Westminster Hall for a service honoring the Queen.

According to Popsugar, the earrings actually belonged to the Queen and were thought to be on loan to the Duchess of Sussex at one point. But clearly this special token is now part of Meghan's collection of royal jewelry, which also includes Princess Diana's gold butterfly earrings, among other pieces of her late mother–in-law's jewelry (via Town & Country).

Meanwhile, according to Page Six, wearing pearls to a royal funeral is a customary practice dating back to Queen Victoria.